Biden approves disaster declaration to help flood-impacted California residents

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Federal assistance is coming to flood-impacted San Diegans as President Joe Biden on Presidents’ Day approved a disaster declaration for California residents impacted by the severe storms and flooding in late January.

Biden on Monday declared that a major disaster exists in the state of California and ordered federal assistance for residents affected by the severe storms and flooding from Jan. 21 to Jan. 23.

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Those storms left three people dead and more than 800 homes damaged in San Diego County, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Federal funding is now available for those affected, including here in San Diego County, which includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs for residents and business owners.

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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria issued a statement following the announcement:

“For weeks since the severe storm on Jan. 22, I have been advocating with state and federal officials — including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom, FEMA Region 9 leadership, and our state and Congressional delegations — to secure a FEMA major disaster declaration that qualifies our residents for individual assistance. This announcement today is what we were advocating for and means more help is on the way.

“The City has been on the ground in the impacted neighborhoods assessing damage and providing all the resources we can to get these communities on the path to recovery. Now, with this designation, we can focus on the long-term rebuilding efforts from this natural disaster. We will work with officials from FEMA, CalOES, and the County to ensure information about available resources and how to apply for them is provided swiftly and that Disaster Recovery Centers are placed directly in the impacted communities.

“I want to thank the Biden-Harris Administration, the Governor, San Diego’s state and Congressional delegations, and the County of San Diego for their support of our city during this time. Let’s continue to move forward together to rebuild our communities.”

N. Allison Pfaendler of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be overseeing Federal recovery operations in the affected areas, according to the announcement.

The California Office of Emergency Services and FEMA will be setting up a Joint Field Office for the region and Disaster Recovery Centers in the most impacted communities.

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“President Biden continues to stand with California whenever disaster strikes. This declaration brings in more resources to help the people of San Diego rebuild and recover from the late January storms,” said Governor Newsom.

The City of San Diego said it will be working with the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services, CalOES, and FEMA in an effort to help impacted San Diegans get federal assistance.

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Residents and business owners can apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.

Rafer Weigel contributed to this report

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